Complete Streets

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SOUTH CAROLINA 2008 OBESITY PREVENTION
SUMMIT COLUMBIA, SC
Towards more Complete Streets
Tom Dodds, P.E.SCDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle
Engineer
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What is a Complete Street?

• A Complete Street is safe, comfortable and
  convenient for travel via automobile, foot,
  bicycle, and transit.

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Why do we need to Complete the Streets?
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Americans want to walk and bike more

• 52 of Americans want to bike more
• than they do now.

America Bikes Poll
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Americans want to walk and bike more

• 55 of Americans would prefer to
• drive less and walk more

STPP Poll
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About one-third of Americans do not drive

• 21 of Americans over 65.
• All children under 16.
• Many low income Americans cannot afford
  automobiles.

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Streets are inadequate

• No sidewalks

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Streets are inadequate

• Too narrow to share with bikes

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Streets are inadequate
Too dangerous to cross on foot
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Streets are inadequate
Uninviting for bus riders
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Streets are inadequate
Inaccessible for wheelchair users
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Streets are inadequate

• No room for bikes or pedestrians

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Streets are inadequate
No room for people
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Streets are inadequate

• 25 of walking trips take place on roads without
  sidewalks or shoulders
• Bike lanes are available for only about 5 of
  bike trips

Natl. Survey of Ped Bicyclist Attitudes
Behaviors, 2003 BTS
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Top pedestrian complaints are incomplete streets
2002 Natl. Transportation Availability Use
Survey
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Top bicyclist complaints are incomplete streets
2002 Natl. Transportation Availability Use
Survey
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Incomplete streets are unsafe.
FMIS, NHTS, FARS federal databases
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Incomplete streets
This bridge provides the only access across the
Fox River to Cary, Illinois. In 2000,
17-year-old Nate Oglesby died trying to cross it
on his bicycle two teens had died previously.
US 14, Cary Illinois
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Complete streets
Nates family won a wrongful death lawsuit and
the community pressed the Illinois DOT to
retrofit the bridge, at far greater cost than
doing it right the first time.
US 14, Cary Illinois
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What is a Complete Streets policy?

• A complete streets policy ensures that the entire
  right of way is routinely designed and operated
  to enable safe access
• for all users.

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Complete streets are in line with federal guidance

• 2000 FHWA Guidance
• Bicycling and walking facilities will be
  incorporated into all transportation projects
  unless exceptional circumstances exist.
• http//www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/design
  .htm

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Some Existing policies
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The best complete streets policies

• Apply to all phases of all projects
• Direct use of the latest and best design
  standards
• Allow flexibility in balancing user needs
• Specify any exceptions require high-level
  approval of them

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Completing the Streets State Action

• Oregon state law
• footpaths and bicycle trails shall be provided
  wherever a highway, road or street is being
  constructed, reconstructed, or relocated.
• minimum of 1 of state transportation funds go to
  bicycling and walking.

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Massachusetts Project Development Design Guide

• A guiding principle of the Guidebook is that the
  roadway system of the Commonwealth should safely
  accommodate all users of the public right-of-way,
  including
• pedestrians,
• people requiring mobility aids
• Bicyclists,
• drivers and passengers of transit vehicles,
• trucks,
• automobiles and motorcycles.

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Completing the Streets Local Action

• The safety and convenience of all users of the
  transportation system including pedestrians,
  bicyclists, transit users, freight, and motor
  vehicle drivers shall be accommodated and
  BALANCED in all transportation and development
  projects and through all phases of a project
• SO THAT

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Completing the Streets Local Action

• SO THAT even the most vulnerable- children,
  elderly, and persons with disabilities- can
  travel safely within the public right-of-way
• -City of Chicago
• Complete Streets Policy

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Completing the Streets Local Action

• Boulder, Colorado is building all arterials as
  multi-modal corridors for auto, pedestrian,
  bicycle, and transit.

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Charlotte NC Street Design Standards

• Urban Street Design Standards
• A six-step process for considering and balancing
  the needs of all users.

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Bridgeport Way, University Place, Washington
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Implementation From Policy to Practice

• An effective policy should prompt the following
  changes
• restructured procedures
• re-written design manuals
• re-trained planners and engineers
• re-tooled measures to track outcomes

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The many types of Complete Streets
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The many types of Complete Streets
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The many types of Complete Streets
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The many types of Complete Streets
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The many types of Complete Streets
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The many types of Complete Streets
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The many types of Complete Streets
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Isnt it expensive?

• By fully considering the needs of all
  non-motorized travelers (pedestrians, bicyclists,
  and persons with disabilities) early in the life
  of a project, the costs associated with including
  facilities for these travelers are minimized.
• Jeff Morales, former Director, CalTrans

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Benefits for safety

• Designing intersections for pedestrian travel can
  reduce pedestrian risk by 28

insert photo of median island
King/Ewing 2003
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Europe has more bike-ped travel
Pucher, AJPH Sept 2003
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And far fewer deaths
Pucher, AJPH Sept 2003
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Portland Oregon 1990Bike lanes encourage bike
commuting
Black lines show 1990 bikeway network...
Colors show 1990 mode splits (by census tract)
City of Portland Dept. of Transportation
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Portland Oregon 2000Bike lanes encourage bike
commuting
Black lines show 2000 bikeway network...
Colors show 2000 mode splits (by census tract)
City of Portland Dept. of Transportation
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Benefits for older Americans

• 50 of Americans will be over 55 in 2030
• More than half of older Americans walk regularly.

Photo Michael Ronkin, ODOT
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Benefits for older Americans

• 21 of Americans over 65 do not drive
• More than 50 of non-drivers stay at home on a
  given day because they lack transportation
  options.

Photo Michael Ronkin, ODOT
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Benefits for encouraging healthy activity

• Walking and bicycling help prevent obesity,
  diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer.
• Residents are 65 more likely to walk in a
  neighborhood with sidewalks.

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Benefits for people with disabilities

• 20 of Americans have a disability that limits
  their daily activities.
• Complete Streets have curb cuts and other
  features for disabled travelers.
• Complete Streets reduce isolation and dependence.

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Benefits for reducing traffic

• Of all trips taken in metro areas
• 50 are three miles or less
• 28 are one mile or less
• 65 of trips under one mile
• are now taken by automobile 2001 NHTS

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National Complete Streets Coalition Steering
Committee

• AARP
• America Bikes
• America Walks
• American Council of the Blind
• American Planning Association
• American Public Transportation Association
• American Society of Landscape Architects
• APBP
• City of Boulder
• Institute of Transportation Engineers

• League of American Bicyclists
• McCann Consulting
• NCBW
• National Parks Conservation Association
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• Paralyzed Veterans of America
• Smart Growth America
• Surface Transportation Policy Project
• Thunderhead Alliance

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For More Information www.completestreets.org

• Links to success stories existing policies
• How-to Tools
• Resources power-point, brochures
• Newsletter sign up

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Complete Streets The South Carolina Perspective
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Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations SCDOT
Commission has adopted a resolution that states
in part, .bicycling and walking
accommodations should be a routine part of
the Departments planning, design, construction,
and operating activities, and will be included
in the everyday operations of our
transportation system
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The Resolution Adopted in 2003
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Engineering Directive Memorandum 22
South Carolina Department of Transportation Engine
ering Directive Memorandum Number 22 Primary
Departments Preconstruction, Traffic
Engineering, Construction, Maintenance Referrals
AASHTO, Guide for the Development of Bicycle
Facilities, 1999 Subject Considerations for
Bicycle Facilities On February 20, 2003, the
South Carolina Department of Transportation
Commission in meeting affirmed that bicycling
accommodations should be a routine part of the
Departments planning, design, construction, and
operating activities, and will be included in the
everyday operations of our transportation system.
In order to provide guidance to Department
personnel, the attached typical sections have
been developed to supplement the following
guidelines for the selection and design of
bicycle facilities on all new projects. In
addition, typical sections have been included to
give guidance on how to restripe existing
five-lane sections to accommodate bicycle
facilities. The following describes shared
roadways and bike lanes/paved shoulders and
gives guidance on their design requirements for
new projects. Other design considerations for
bicycle accommodations are also addressed.
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Places in SC with Complete Streets Policies

• Charleston MPO
• City of Columbia
• City of Spartanburg
• Others?????

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South Carolina on the Way!

• Spartanburg and Columbia have passed Complete
  Street resolutions
• Greenville is working on a complete streets
  ordinance
• Charleston has a complete streets policy written
  and ready to go, it has not passed yet
• Myrtle Beach and Rock Hill have started to work
  on Complete Streets initiatives

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Bicycle Friendly Communities

• SpartanburgFirst in SC Bronze
• Charleston, Rock Hill, Columbia, and
  Greenvilleall actively working towards being
  BFCs in the next few years
• Myrtle Beach, Summerville and Hilton Head just
  beginning on the BFC program
• Complete Streets is a vital component of BFC

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Complete Streets Goals for SC

• To move from resolutions to ordinances
• To promote and work to pass complete streets
  ordinance across South Carolina!
• To be one of the first states to pass a statewide
  Complete Streets Bill
• To catalogue what is already being done statewide
  
• To evaluate how policy change effects
  infrastructure change and quality of life

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Challenges

• SC remains very high in road fatalities across
  the board
• High motorist fatality rates on secondary roads
• High DUI fatality rate
• SC top ten in fatalities for both pedestrians and
  cyclists

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Challenges

• Funding, we need to partner with municipalities
  and DOT to find innovative funding opportunities
• Partnerships---neighborhood organizations, PTOs,
  elected officials, DOT, the health community,
  colleges all need to be a part of Complete
  Streetstogether we can make it happen!

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This just in!!!

• Washington, DCMon., Mar 3, 2008. Sen. Tom
  Harkin (D-IA) introduced The Complete Streets Act
  of 2008, which would work to promote the design
  of streets that are safe for all of those using
  the streetincluding motorists, bus riders,
  bicyclists, and pedestrians, including people
  with disabilities. Harkin was joined in this
  effort by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE).
• Making our streets bike and pedestrian friendly
  is a win-win for us all, said Harkin.  It not
  only promotes healthier lifestyles, it lowers the
  amount of traffic congestion that many people
  deal with every day.

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Questions?
Tom Dodds, P.E. SCDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle
Engineer [phone] DoddsDT_at_scdot.org